Walking into LCH on Friday was like walking into a huge Panthers party – with a mission for life-saving. As our donors watched Panthers game re-caps and old footage on the big screen, they helped save local lives – including those of the children right there in the hospital.

We had several parents with children in the hospital who came down and donated – knowing that by donating with CBCC, their blood could end up saving the life of their child.

Sir Purr and the Top Cats also came by to visit with the hospitalized children, and to say hello to our donors; but one of the most moving visitors of the day was Coach Sam Mills III. Son of former Panthers coach and player Sam Mills, he donated blood in memory of his father.

From the special guests, to the photo booth, to the Panthers prizes, to the one-of-a-kind t-shirt, our donors had a blast; but it was our patients who really benefited from this 10 hour blood drive. Our donors were able to help touch up to 336 lives in one day on May 1. That is a huge accomplishment!

Don’t forget to post your photos on Instagram using #SavingLocalLives for the chance to win a football signed by Cam Newton and a Panthers prize pack. These must be posted by noon on 5/5!

The other big raffle items including signed footballs, helmets, field passes, training camp passes and more will be announced later this week! Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date and to see more photos & videos from the drive!